Improvement in copy-books



M. A. REQUA &. E. DUNN.

COPY-BOOK.

No. 189,574. Patented April 17, 1877.

By Eleanor .Zhuzn MPETERS, PHOTQ-UTNQGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT Drrron.

M. AUGUSTA REQUA AND ELEANOR DUNN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN COPY-BOOKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [89,574, dated April 17, 1877 application filed March 19, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that we, M. AUGUSTA REQUA and ELEANOR DUNN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Copy-Books, of which the following is a specification that will enable others to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

The especial object of our invention is to improve copy-books for pupils in the art of writing.

Frequently much difiiculty is experienced in instructing young children to imitate copies, and it is desirable that every practicable means he resorted to for their encouragement and assistance. With this object in view, we have found it expedient and advantageous to employ two pages for the same copy. Upon one of these pages, which is a trial page, appears the copy, (indicated in dotted lines several times,) and the remainder of the sheet is left blank for free handwriting. Upon the other is the regular copy, of which the child, after using the trial-page, is prepared to produce a good specimen copy.

It has been customary to use two sets of copy-books-one for practicing in, or loose scraps of paper for practicing upon; but by our newly-constructed writing-book this use of extra books and scraps of paper is done away with through the employment of two leaves, as stated-the one a detachable trialleaf, and the other permanent. The outlines of letters have heretofore been made in copybooks, so that tracing can be practiced before imitation is attempted. Our invention contemplates the utilization of this idea, as well as that of imitation; and consists in providin g copy-books with removable trial-pages, on which there are outlines of'copies traced on a portion of the page, the same as those on the copy-page, and a space below for free handwriting. The pupil, having this trial-page on which to practice before attempting to write on the ordinary copy-page, is given confidence and skill to proceed to write on that page,

and, on removing the trial-pages from the 7 book after the copying has been accomplished, the book will present a neater appearance than if no trial-pages had been used, because the first mistakes made on the trial-pages will, to a considerable extent, be avoided on the copy-pages.

In the drawings is represented an open book, showing a trial-page and a copy-page for imitation of the same copy shown on the trial-page. a, b, and 0 indicate the copies, in dotted lines on the trial-page, to be traced by the pupil, and d is the same copy on the permanent page, to be imitated. 0 indicates a blank space on the lower part of the trial-page, which it is desired to have for the first rude experiments of the beginner. f indicates a line of perforations on the trial-page, near the binding, whereby it may be removed after it has served its purpose, thus leaving the book neater than it could otherwise be, which will be a source of encouragement to the pupil.

We produce a progressive series of books with trial-pages, and have found, by experience in teaching, the practical advantages of our invention.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent as an improvement in copy-books, is-

A Writing copy-book having, in addition to the usual pages of set copy or words and letters to be imitated, interposed removable trialleaves, provided with one or more lines of letters corresponding with the set copy, outlined or indicated by dots or other suitable means, and with a space for free handwriting, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names.

M. AUGUSTA REQUA. ELEANOR DUNN. Witnesses:

JAMES M. HURD, CHAS. V. WARE. 

